Más Deseable Que Todas Las Cosas

Mi Familia,

So this week was really good. We got to work a lot and find a lot of new people to teach. The members are helping us a lot with referrals and going to lessons with us. Do the missionaries ever invite you guys to lessons?

This week we tried to visit Carolina, one of the women that received us last week. She was drunk the 2 times we went, I think I already mentioned that. But this week we went on saturday. It was 8:30 and all of our lessons for the day had fallen and we were feeling pretty sad so I was thinking about going home early. When we were on our street I felt like we should go with Carolina so we did. Of course I was also thinking that she might be drunk again and didn't want to see her if she was. But we went and she was sober, so we talked to her. She explained to us that her daughter died 13 years ago in February. So every year she remembers it and it makes her want to drink. I think it is a problem that she has all year long but she is more sad in this time of the year. So we taught her the Plan of Salvation and invited her to church. She went with her Granddaughter and loved it. I felt so happy that I listened to the spirit. The sister is not married (and lives with a man) but we will see what the situation is with that.

This week we also found a man that is great, his name is Doroteo. He is really funny and smart. He told us that people always go to preach to him but he doesn't like it because they aren't prepared. He asked us various questions like, who were the wives of Cain and Abel and what is the definition of proverb or psalm. We answered his questions and he looked very pleased. He said we could come back again and he accepted the Book of Mormon. He said he would read it.

We also found another man named Marcotulio. He is so funny. He works in a refrigerator repair place. He was a reference from a member in Guatemala. We found him and started teaching him. He was super interested and asked us where the chapel was and at what time and told us he would go. We explained to him the Book of Mormon, and he started reading it right there and just looking at it. It was really hard to teach him after that because the semi trucks pass by right there and he was just so interested in the Book Of Mormon that we gave him that it was hard to get his attention for more than a few seconds. We are going to keep teaching him this week.

Today we went to the Izapa Ruins. It is very beautiful. There are a lot of small pyramids and rocks. Including the rock of the tree of life! I don't know if you have seen it online but it is a rock that they found here by Tapachula. It is a representation of the dream of Lehi. It is pretty spectacular and a lot bigger than I thought it would be (I saw it before the mission online). I will have to send pictures of everything another week. But search that rock on google. Also many say that Lehi lived here and who knows if it is true. I would like to think that it is.

Stela 5, Izapa Ruins - "The Tree of Life"

This week I have been studying about the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement. I think it was Bruce R. McConkie that said that we have to understand all three because it isn't possible to understand one without understanding the other 2. I have learned so much. Because of the fall and the atonement, we can live in a better state than the garden of Eden, but it is necessary for us to live in a lower state right now. I am grateful for the creation, the fall, and the atonement. I know that they really happened, and that God is the author of the Plan of Salvation.

I am happy and I hope you guys are too. Thanks for the letters that I got! The "dear elders" were so fun to read. I love you and miss you!

Con Amor,

Elder Riley Stevenson